strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

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Olympian Loses Bet, Will Wear Mankini to Games

Shooter Russell Mark will don it during opening ceremonies

(Newser) - Australian shooter Russell Mark may have won gold and silver in previous Olympics, but he lost a pretty big bet this go-round—and he's now stuck parading through the opening ceremonies in London wearing a lime-green mankini. The not-exactly-fashionable swimsuit was popularized by Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat, and...

Skulls Buried in Florida Backyard Date to 1200 AD

Investigators have no idea how Inca skulls got there

(Newser) - Police in Florida investigating two skulls found in a backyard say that while they definitely have a mystery on their hands, they're not looking for a killer. That's because investigators have determined that the skulls belong to a man and a 10-year-old boy who died in Peru as...

Teen Burglar Leaves Homework at Crime Scene

Police arrest 18-year-old in connection with break-in

(Newser) - Pro tip for the world's burglars: Try to avoid leaving incriminating evidence, like fingerprints, DNA, or a backpack containing your schoolwork at the scene. Utah police responding to a burglary this weekend found a backpack left behind in the targeted home's backyard, the AP reports. Inside was a...

In Kodak's Basement: Nuclear Reactor

Imaging giant had enriched uranium in Rochester

(Newser) - Would nuclear war have made a good Kodak moment? Until 2006, the company could have found out: It had 3.5 pounds of weapons-grade uranium stashed in a nuclear reactor in the basement of its headquarters—right in the busy city of Rochester, New York. It remains unclear why the...

Did Peeing Swimmers Kill 500 Fish?

Phosphates in urine linked to algae bloom

(Newser) - It's a pisser. Swimmers who pee in a lake could be responsible for the death of 500 fish. Experts believe a significant amount of urine in popular Eichbaum Lake in northern Germany is linked to an algae bloom that poisoned the fish. "Swimmers who urinate in the lake...

Guy Finds Stolen Bike on Craigslist, Steals It Back
 Guy Finds 
 Stolen Bike 
 on Craigslist, 
 Steals It Back 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 13, 2012 12:07 PM CDT

Guy Finds Stolen Bike on Craigslist, Steals It Back

Danny Lesh fools thief after finding Craigslist ad

(Newser) - When Danny Lesh found his stolen bike listed for sale on Craigslist and police couldn’t help him right away, he decided to take matters into his own hands. The $600 Cannondale hybrid, which had a prominent identifying sticker on it, was listed for sale for $100 and Lesh arranged...

New Theory: Jack the Ripper Was a Woman


 New Theory: 
 Jack the Ripper 
 Was a Woman 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 13, 2012 9:58 AM CDT

New Theory: Jack the Ripper Was a Woman

New book claims doctor's wife did the dirty deeds

(Newser) - The sadistic killer who struck London in 1888, killing five prostitutes over a 10-week span may have been ... a woman? A new book (titled the says-it-all Jack the Ripper: The Hand of a Woman) puts forth a new theory: That Jack the Ripper was indeed a female, specifically one named...

School Spells Own Name Wrong for Years

 School Spells 
 Own Name 
 Wrong for 
 Years 
in case you missed it
May 12, 2012 7:00 PM CDT

School Spells Own Name Wrong for Years

A Fort Worth elementary school had one too many i's

(Newser) - They may teach little kids their ABCs, but for the past nine years a school in Texas has misspelled its own name. The Sunrise Elementary School in Fort Worth added McMillian to its title in 2003 to honor its first teacher. But it turns out Mrs. McMillan did not possess...

Man Buys 6 Powerball Tickets, Wins $1M on Each

He bought half-dozen tickets with the same numbers

(Newser) - A suburban Phoenix man made a lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky guess in a recent multistate lottery game. The anonymous Glendale man claimed six $1 million prizes after purchasing six Powerball tickets with the same winning numbers late last month. The tickets were good for six second-place prizes. (He...

Guy Used Stolen Bobcat to Steal 2 Deodorant Cans

Chicago man also accused of stealing gift cards

(Newser) - A Chicago man allegedly took quite a few pains to break into a dollar store and steal deodorant: Police say the suspect first stole a Bobcat loader from a construction site a block away, then used it to break the windows at West Side Family Dollar. In addition to the...

Survival Guide Advice: Eat This Guide

Land Rover book made of edible materials

(Newser) - If your Land Rover has taken you far off the beaten path, never fear: The automaker now offers its own survival guide. Out of food? Still no need to worry—you can eat the guide itself, Gizmodo reports. Indeed, the guide's front cover begs you to do so. (The...

Wife Hits Hubby With SUV Over Wisconsin Recall Vote

Jeffrey Radle attempted to block wife from leaving

(Newser) - Let’s just say Jeffrey Radle and wife Amanda don’t quite see eye-to-eye politically: Amanda wanted to drive to the polls in her Wisconsin town Tuesday, but Jeffrey kept blocking her … so she eventually—allegedly—ran him over with her SUV. Jeffrey supports Gov. Scott Walker but Amanda...

Reese Witherspoon's Dad a Bigamist?

Actress' mom files lawsuit against John Draper Witherspoon

(Newser) - Reese Witherspoon’s mom is suing her husband for bigamy, claiming they are still married and that he may not even remember marrying a second woman in January. Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Witherspoon has been married to John Draper Witherspoon for 42 years, but says they began living separately in...

Florida Teacher Made Teens Wear 'Cone of Shame'

Yep, the kind of cone that dogs wear

(Newser) - Some teachers work their students like dogs—but in Florida, one science teacher apparently treated her students like canines. Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, 47, made at least eight of her ninth-graders wear a "cone of shame" last month, reports the Tampa Bay Times . And this particular cone isn't a dunce...

Man Refuses to Pay for $12 Cab While Carrying $5K

Paging Mr. Scrooge

(Newser) - A New York man who refused to pay a $12 taxi fare apparently could have afforded the bill: He was carrying more than $5,000 at the time, say Syracuse police. Making the story even better, the cabbie was driving him around on a quest for ... cheap cigarettes. The 68-year-old...

TSA Finds Gun Parts in Stuffed Animals

...and it might be a 'domestic dispute' frame-up

(Newser) - Adventures in TSA screening:
  • Weird: Agents at a Providence, Rhode Island, airport screened a 4-year-old's carry-on bag on Monday and spotted a gun inside. The weapon had been disassembled and hidden in three stuffed animals, reports USA Today .
  • Weirder: Authorities took the gun but let the boy and his
...

Principal Faked Facebook Account to Spy: Student
Principal Impersonated
Teen on Facebook to Spy
says student
May 9, 2012 11:19 AM CDT

Principal Impersonated Teen on Facebook to Spy

Louise Losos resigns amid controversy after former student makes claim

(Newser) - A Missouri high school principal resigned last week, one month after she was first accused of impersonating a student on Facebook so she could spy on students and parents online. The profile for "Suzy Harriston" claimed she was from Clayton; many of her 300 Facebook friends were from Clayton...

W.Va. Dem Primary: Obama 60%, Felon 40%

Texas jailbird Keith Judd comes close in coal country

(Newser) - A felon serving time in a Texas prison has managed to give President Obama a run for his money in West Virginia's Democratic primary. Keith Judd, who is serving a federal sentence for extortion, took 40% of the vote to Obama's 60%, the highest result of any Democratic...

Vladimir Putin: Hockey Star
 Vladimir Putin: Hockey Star 
May 8, 2012 2:35 PM CDT

Vladimir Putin: Hockey Star

Russian president takes the ice against hockey legends, beats them

(Newser) - Is there anything Vladimir Putin can't do? Russia's old/new president celebrated his inauguration by lacing up his skates for an amateur hockey team and scoring the winning goal against a team of hockey legends, Russia Today reports. The game was a season-ending exhibition between select members of the...

Prom Dress Made From ... Starburst Wrappers

Diane McNease estimates it took 5 months, 18K wrappers

(Newser) - A northern Michigan teen put together one sweet prom dress, thanks to the help of classmates who collected thousands of Starburst wrappers for her. Diane McNease tells WLUC-TV that she came up with the idea of making her prom dress out of candy wrappers when she saw a friend folding...

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